Thursday, February 26, 2015

Is Twitter ablaze that the Department of Justice didn't bring any Civil Rights charges against George Zimmerman? Someone emailed me that news. I've been checking CNN and local news in Chicago and Pittsburgh, but it's not the same as Twitter. Twitter brought ALL the news right to my timeline. As well as the radical thought around it. I miss that immensely. That and Amber/Khloe-ish beef.

ALSO, I miss the realtime TV updates. I missed Empire two weeks in a row and I missed the Oscars. I literally saw the "this is what you missed at the Oscars" headline when I went to open my email and had to click it. I thought, I'm officially somebody's grandma, getting my news 12 hours after it happened.

How's Lent going for you? What have you missed about what you gave up? Has your prayer life increased? What about your scripture reading?

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Only a pastor of an African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church would call a fast during Lent. We're supposed to fast for 18 hours (From Midnight to 6 p.m.) on Wednesdays. So now I'm bored (no social media) AND hungry (no food).

Monday, February 23, 2015

I'd like to pour out some liquor, an airline sized bottle, of course, for all the airlines that didn't make it. I was cleaning out my wallet and there are some airlines that couldn't cut it.

- ATA - I missed my first flight on your airline. Kicked it at Midway airport for 8 hours waiting to go standby because you had lines out of the door. It was traumatic, but it's the reason I arrive 2 hours beforehand (1 hour in Pittsburgh's one terminal airport) because I don't like dealing with that trauma. You taught me a lot, may you rest in peace.

- Air Tran - You were one of my faves. You got swallowed up by Southwest and now I can fly internationally for the low, low. I wish I could say you'll be missed. You won't.

- Continental - You got swallowed up by United. This is true malarkey. Your seats were bigger, your service was better, your people were friendlier. When it comes time for customer service training, can you ask United to use yours instead of theirs?

- America West Airlines - You were one step up from Spirit Airlines, which really isn't saying too much. You had the smallest seats and the meanest flight attendants and the cheapest pop. You got bought out by US Airways and then...

- US Airways - Or as I like to call you, useless airways. Your flight attendants told me I had to check my carry-on bag to my final destination, when there was actually room in the overhead bins, simply because I was in Group 5. I made the plane, my bags did not. You're liars and you're cheats and I hope American teaches you a few things.

I pray my favorite airline, Southwest keeps being awesome. I don't want to have to lay them to rest. What's your favorite airline in 2015?

Friday, February 20, 2015

It's maybe my 5th year participating in Lent and I'm excited about it. I'm giving up social media, within reason. No Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Tinder or Swarm. I'm still going to use LinkedIn and YouTube because they're not social media for real. And they don't drain my energy the way the other networks do.

It'll be interesting to wake up in the morning and not check my phone for the latest photos on IG or the latest news stories on Twitter. I guess I should download CNN.com or Washington Post or Al Jezerra or something like that, so I'm not completely disconnected.

Whenever you have a craving to do what you're not doing for Lent, you're supposed to pray. I don't think that's possible. Since I would have social media open 24/7, doing it while I was doing other things, I can't exactly pray 24/7.

I can whisper a quick, Help Me, Lord or Thank You, Lord or maybe I find a scripture to quote every time I want to say something on social media and can't.

My big brother said I'm going to die. I think I'll be ok, but it will be an interesting 40 days and 40 nights.

Thursday, February 19, 2015

I was feeling very much how Riley Freeman feels about Santa when it came to my eHarmony subscription. I have been trying to get my money back from them since October 28, 2014. We went three rounds with the Better Business Bureau and nope, no refund. So I submitted my complaint to the California Attorney General's office. Shortly, thereafter, a refund was issued.

I really wish I didn't have to spend all this extra time tracking down refunds for services I don't want, but shoutout to the government for advocating on my behalf and eHarmony for giving up on trying to keep my money.

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Remember in 2008 when I was [unnecessarily] angry and posted here about their being no travel size black hair care products? Well, someone was listening. We elected a black President and look what I found in Target.

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

As a person who gets more news from social media than cable TV news, I realize that I have access to info that a lot of people don't. In the wake of the publicizing of police brutality and the corresponding racial unrest and uprising that it's caused, people are looking for leaders everywhere. They're looking for coordinated efforts.

Well, if you want to be involved in a movement, look no further.

C.A.R.E.S.http://centerthatcares.org/about-us/* - Children/Adult Recreational and Education Services - an afterschool program in Pittsburgh's Hill District that focuses on exposing students to places and opportunities outside of their comfort zone to keep them away from gun violence and better their futures.

Millennial Activists United - MAU is a grassroots organization that demand accountability for victims of social injustice in Ferguson, across America and the world.

Black Youth Project 100 - BYP 100 is an org of Black 18-35 year olds, that has built a collective
focused on transformative leadership development, non-violent direct
action organizing, advocacy and education

Dream Defenders - This is a group of young folks, mostly students in Florida who were very active following the death of Trayvon Martin and the acquittal of George Zimmerman. Their website isn't as up-to-date now, but they're heavy on Twitter. I definitely support their efforts.

National Action Network - Say what you want about Al Sharpton, but when a black person is killed, wrongfully or otherwise, have you hopped on a plane and hugged his or her mother. Rev. Sharpton does. I imagine if Dr. King was still alive people would treat him the same way they treat Al and it's pretty disgusting. I respect the work he does and I hope he can come to some respect and understanding with the younger generations doing work too.

NAACP - This can be a polarizing organization, because even the name says it's for COLORED people. Its very name makes people uncomfortable. Let's not let new activism make us forget all that this organization has done and continue to support their efforts and usher them into the future.

ACLU - The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is our nation's guardian of liberty, working daily in courts,
legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual
rights and liberties that the Constitution and laws of the United States
guarantee everyone in this country.

Rainbow P.U.S.H. Coalition - Yep, Rev. Jackson and 'nem still do a breakfast and press conference EVERY Saturday in Chicago. While everyone's looking around for the next big thing, they are in the community working on a lot of little things and they haven't stopped because being black has become unpopular.

CeaseFire Illinois - CeaseFire Illinois is the Illinois arm of Cure Violence. I heard that this organization was losing funding and it breaks my heart. They work with criminals. Yes, the people who are doing the killing and shooting (because they are people too) to STOP doing killing and shooting. Prison is not reformative and once someone's in prison, someone else is already dead.

*Full disclosure, I'm on the board of this organization and I think you should donate to it right now.

Welcome!

I always had a plethora of Facebook notes, so I figured it was time to cross over into the blogosphere. Here I talk about everything from paying down debt (First credit cards, then student loans) to relationships to politics (Go PRESIDENT Obama!) to sports (GO BEARS!) to sermon notes to people and things that irk me to the random moments that make up my extremely blessed life.

Hit me anytime at teaandsuch@gmail.com. (I barely check it though, so send me a comment letting me know you sent the email.)